Making the grade ...

A few updates to pass along on some First Region products in the college baseball ranks:

Gabriel Shaw is being used as the closer at Louisville. Shaw, a former St. Mary standout, is 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA and four saves as a true freshman, with some impressive peripheral numbers — in 13 2/3 innings, he’s allowed only eight hits with two walks and 14 strikeouts.

Interestingly, it seems as if Louisville is stressing pitching inside with Shaw, who’s already hit five batters.

The Cardinals are 13-7 and took two out of three games from Connecticut in the Big East opening series. Shaw gave up four runs in the 10th inning in a 12-8 loss to UConn on Saturday.

At Kentucky, Clint Tilford has done some nice work in a bullpen-midweek starter role. Tilford, a sophomore from Heath, is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA with nine hits allowed, nine walks and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings.

Tilford threw five shutout innings against Xavier last week, then allowed two runs in two innings against the Musketeers again on Tuesday.

Outfielder Brock Wright, also a Heath product, is finding playing time scarce in UK’s loaded outfield, which includes a pair of potential All-Americans in Collin Cowgill and Sawyer Carroll.

Wright, who was also set back by a hand injury after being hit by a pitch against Evansville on March 5, is 1-for-6 on the season and is being used most often as a pinch-runner. Kentucky, currently ranked eighth nationally, is 21-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC.

St. Mary alum Jonathan Roof is the starting shortstop as a freshman at Michigan State and is off to a fine start, hitting .328 with one homer and eight RBI. Roof is tied for the team lead in hits. Brother Eric Roof is seeing time behind the plate and is hitting .200 for the Spartans, who are 7-8 and start Big Ten play this weekend.